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Tsubasa Chrome
}} The Tsubasa Chrome is a Japanese camera taking 4×6.5cm and 3×4cm exposures on 127 film. It was sold by the Japanese company Optochrom from 1937, and was certainly made by Kigawa. General description All the models have a telescopic tube supporting the lens and shutter assembly. They have a tubular optical finder in the middle of the top plate, with two bars indicating the field of view for 3×4 format. The advance knob is at the left end and the release lever is on the shutter housing itself. The back is hinged to the right and film advance is controlled by red window. The front leather is embossed TSUBASA. Original model Description The original Tsubasa Chrome (ツバサ・クローム) has T, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds. The advance knob has a cylindrical shape and there is a smaller cylindrical knob at the opposite end of the top plate. There is a button on the right of the top plate; it looks like a body release but it is actually the release of the spring loaded telescopic tube. The back contains two uncovered red windows. The shutter plate is marked TSUBASA SHUTTER at the top, with an NE logo between both words, and NEW GOLD at the bottom. The speeds are selected by turning the shutter rim, which is very thin. The speed scale is inscribed at the top of the shutter plate, and the aperture scale is at the bottom. Original documents The camera is featured in the new products column of the August 1937 issue of . , p.337. The same issue also contains an advertisement listing the model with a Lucomar f/6.3 lens at or a Lucomar f/4.5 lens at — ¥4 extra for the case. Advertisement reproduced in , p.78. In an advertisement dated June 1938, the prices are respectively and (case for ¥4.50). Advertisement published in , reproduced in , p.78. Eight authorized dealers are mentioned: Asanuma Shōkai, Hagi Kōgyō Bōeki, Misuzu Shōkai, Mizuno Shashinki-ten, Yamashita Yūjirō Shōten, Eikōdō, Matsuzaki Shashinki-ten and Ueda Shashinki-ten. Actual examples A few examples have been observed. Examples observed in online auctions. Their advance knob is smaller and higher than on the advertising pictures and it has three rows of knurls. Most have a Lucomar Anastigmat f/6.3 fixed-focus lens and speeds marked T, B, 25, 50, 100 in that order. The aperture scale has 6.3, 8, 11, 16, 22 settings. The shutter plate has a single metal strip on each side of the lens and the NEW GOLD name is written in rounded letters, the same as in the advertising pictures. At least one has a Lucomar Anastigmat f/4.5 front-cell focusing lens and speeds marked T, B, 100, 50, 25. The aperture scale has 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18, 25 settings. The shutter plate has three metal strips on each side of the lens and the NEW GOLD name is written in square letters. Tsubasa Chrome New Description The Tsubasa Chrome New (ツバサ・クローム・新型) adds 1/150 top speed. The advance knob has a more rounded shape and a hollow top, and the film flange at the right end of the top plate has a conical shape. The shutter plate is marked WING ANCHOR at the top, MADE IN JAPAN at the bottom, and the NE logo is on the right. There is a thread for a cable release added next to the release lever. The speeds are engraved T, B, 150, 100, 50, 25 in that order on the shutter rim. The aperture scale goes to f/32. Original documents The advertisement in September 1938 lists the camera with the Lucomar f/6.3 lens ( ) or the Lucomar f/4.5 lens ( , case ¥5 extra). Advertisement for the Tsubasa range reproduced in the Gochamaze website. In the picture, the shutter plate is of the new type and there is still a button on the right of the top plate. This button is no more visible in the picture of the February 1939 advertisement in the same magazine, where the camera is offered at unchanged prices. Advertisement reproduced in , p.78. It is looking the same as the September 1938 advertisement cited above, but there are detail differences. This probably means that the telescopic tube was no longer spring-loaded. The camera is simply called Tsubasa Chrome again in advertisements dated April and December 1939, which give the higher price of for the f/6.3 version. Advertisement in April 1939 reproduced in , p.79, and advertisement on p.18 of , December 15, 1939, reproduced on p.52 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. (The last advertisement listed in , p.337, is dated June 1939.) The Tsubasa Chrome is mentioned in the list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, under the names "Tsubasa Chrome" (¥28), "Tsubasa Chrome II" (¥33) and "Tsubasa Chrome IIA" (¥42), with no further detail. , type 1, section 3 and type 2, sections 3 and 5A. A catalogue reportedly dated 1942 lists the Tsubasa Chrome with Lucomar f/6.3 only, for ¥40 — case ¥6.70 extra. Catalogue by Gold Camera Kōgyōsho observed in an online auction. Actual examples Actual examples of the Tsubasa Chrome New have been observed on various occasions, with or without the telescopic tube release. Compare e.g. the examples pictured in : item 4102 with the tube release and item 4099 without. Item 4102 has a folding frame finder which does not look original, and it is mistakenly called "Tsubasa" by mistake. There are minor variations in the shape of the film flange at the top right. All the examples observed so far have a fixed-focus f/6.3 lens. Later version Various examples of a later version have been observed. Examples observed in online auctions. There is a large key in place of the advance knob, and an accessory shoe to the right of the viewfinder, in place of the telescopic tube release of the early version. The back latch is modified and consists of a long sliding bar. The back has a round metal plate in the middle and a single red window on the right. The viewfinder still has the two bars for 3×4cm pictures, and the camera retains the dual-format ability. (It seems that the 127 film rolls sold in Japan at the time had indications for half-frame pictures on the paper backing.) One of the cameras has a Lucomar Anastigmat f/6.3 fixed-focus lens, and the other has a Lucomar Anastigmat f/4.5 lens, presumably focusing by turning the front ring. Notes Bibliography * Items 143–4. (See also the advertisements for items 146–7.) * Type 1, section 3; type 2, sections 3 and 5A. * P.464. * Advertisement on p.52, corresponding to p.18 of the December 15, 1939 issue. * Items 4099 and 4102. Links In Japanese: * Tsubasa Chrome New at Mediajoy's Guide to Classic Cameras, follow the "Next" link at the bottom of the page to have illustrated instructions of use. * Advertisement for the Tsubasa range published in the September 1938 issue of Asahi Camera, reproduced in the Japanese camera page of the Gochamaze website Category: Japanese 4x6.5 viewfinder Category: Kigawa Category: T Category: 1937